'It Was a Vote to Help Kill the Man,' Dr. Jack Kevorkian's Attorney Says to Michigan Parole Board

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Dec. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- "I am stunned by the action of the Michigan Parole Board, who seems determined to see Dr. Jack Kevorkian die in prison," his attorney, Mayer Morganroth said.

The Michigan Parole Board voted 7-2 Thursday, flatly denying Morganroth's plea to release Dr. Kevorkian with a Governor's pardon or commutation of sentence.

When asked how Dr. Kevorkian took the news, Morganroth said: "Jack is extremely disappointed and asked me to please convey the following message to the governor. 'I hope Governor Granholm has the courage, but more so, the compassion, to set a sickly old man free.' And those are Jack's exact words."

Kevorkian is 77 years old and has served almost seven years of his sentence and is up for parole in 2007, but Morganroth fears Kevorkian wouldn't last that long. "He is in bad shape and it infuriates me that the Michigan Parole Board has unconscionably and irresponsibly ignored the fact that the prison doctor has repeatedly told Dr. Kevorkian that he should be out of prison. Medical records clearly and without question shows that his liver is being attacked by Hepatitis C and that will eventually kill him."

The Governor will now decide whether or not to free Kevorkian and Morganroth says he hopes politics don't intimidate the Governor from doing the right thing.

"Governor Granholm has made it crystal clear that she is opposed to assisted suicide, and I respect her for that," Morganroth said. "However, Dr. Jack has promised he will not in any way be involved in any of that if he is released from prison. I would hope in the sprit of the season Governor Granholm finds the compassion to do the appropriate thing and release Jack," Morganroth said.

Morganroth said if the Governor refuses to release Dr. Kevorkian, he would continue to fight. "After all, 88 percent of the Americans polled by MSNBC News said Dr. Kevorkian should be freed from prison."